Fish Hosts of Four Freshwater Mussel Species in the Broad River, South Carolina

Abstract

Abstract Freshwater mussel distributions are heavily reliant upon the range and movement of host fishes and are subject to range restrictions when fish migration is blocked. The Columbia Dam on the Broad River in Columbia, SC, has been a barrier to the migration of anadromous species and other fish in the river since 1824. As a result, 5 freshwater mussel species are restricted to reaches of the river downstream of the dam. In 2006, a fish passage was created to facilitate fish movement between stream reaches above and below the dam. Fish hosts that use the passage could facilitate the recolonization of reaches above the dam by freshwater mussels. We conducted laboratory trials to determine the fish hosts of 4 of the species limited to reaches below the dam. The most suitable hosts for Lampsilis cariosa (Yellow Lampmussel) were Morone chrysops (White Bass), Morone saxatilis (Striped Bass), and Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Black Crappie), whereas Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass) and Micropterus dolomieu ...